AKB48 Collide
by naitou
Summary: Yuko has always said that she liked Haruna. But is she really serious? What happens when she witnesses Mariko and Haruna bonding deeper while she's busy and away? A Mariko/Haruna/Yuko story. Who'll end up hurt in the end?
1. Prologue

**Collide **

by **naitou**

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Disclaimer: None of the events in this fic are real. Any resemblance is pure coicidence. Also, if you're not too fond of Yuri don't read. Something else will fit better your tastes. Thank you.

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_Prologue_

Yuko never felt her chest so tight. She swore that if she tried to breathe in her heart would stop beating and she would collapse. She had never felt such pain and she didn't know what was worse: the fact that all this made her realize that she truly was in love with Haruna, or the fact she let her escape and now someone had a chance to make her happy, someone who after all couldn't be her and wasn't her.

She watched the two kiss. It wasn't one of those smooches she sometimes stole from Haruna's lips, but a mature, long and passionate kiss. Miichan was with her when they caught them doing it. She was worried for Yuko. Haruna and Mariko were also her friends, but lately she had the chance to get to know Yuko more and she just couldn't get out from her head the possibilities that were running on the Team K's ace head.

Yuko's eyes were watered but she wasn't crying. She swore to herself that she wouldn't. After all, if Haruna was happy she should feel the same at some point. Mariko was right after all, she was indeed a much suitable person for Haruna than she was. Mariko wouldn't hurt her and the reciprocation on their friendship was always so much notable than with her.

In the end Haruna chose Mariko.

Miichan put a hand on Yuko's shoulder and pushed her to the side. She was now facing her and the look Yuko gave her made her feel so hurt. Since Yuko was always joking around no one would have thought that she was indeed falling for the tall beauty. But that look on her face, those lost and watered eyes...they spoke so many words that a book wasn't enough to fit them all in. She warned her tough, she didn't wanted her to get hurt…because something like this was meant to happen.

Miichan held her in a hug and dragged her out of the room. She took a last glance at the two other girls and Mariko was whispering something to Haruna's ear, which made her blush slightly. Miichan breathe out. It was only a matter of time it seemed and in the end even something she thought to be improbable happened. Sure Mariko and Haruna were spending more and more time together, but to the point of Haruna actually falling for the older woman…She didn't knew what to think about it.


	2. Chapter 1

**Collide **

by **naitou**

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_Chapter One_

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"_One day we'll go to Disney Sea together, it's a promise Nyan Nyan!"_

_I know I told you that but at the same time I knew I would never be able to take you there. It was almost an impossible promise and still I told you those words. I saw the smile on your face but we both knew it wasn't meant to happen. That's why you smiled and didn't say a word to shut me or even nod._

_I really wanted it to happen and have a good time with you. You're a special person to me and when I'm around you everything looks so right and fun. And it hurts my heart to think I spoke so lightly of something I really wanted to do._

_Forgive me Paru. I'll never be reckless again and give us false hopes._

**[…]**

Monday started like a usual busy day. For the longest time Oshima Yuko finally returned to the theater and performed with her teammates. Miichan was already there when she arrived and quickly the two of them started to mess around with Sae, who was still half asleep. She was resting against one of the chairs and Yuko went to one of the sides, making gestures for Miichan to do the same but at the other side. They counted to three and then each bitted Sae's ears at the same time. The _genki _girl jumped on her seat and the two girls burst into laughs.

"_Mouu, what the heck? Sae is still sleepy…"_

"_Sorry Sae-chan but you looked so cuuute half asleep and we couldn't resist."_

"_So we took a bite! Ehehe."_

Sae didn't look very pleased but was still too sleepy to scold them anymore. Hearing the loud laughs of Yuko, Sayaka appeared behind them and greeted the three girls.

"_Good morning. What's going on so early?"_

"_We just took a bite at Sae."_

Sayaka frowned her eyebrow and looked confused, not really liking the answer for reasons she couldn't put into words. Then she looked at the _genki_ girl and noticed she wasn't too happy too. She put down her bag and took off her coat.

"_You two are terrible. It's not even past eleven and you guys are already making pranks, unbelievable."_

Even though she was saying it, Sayaka was laughing inside. She knew how crazy her teammates were and then when Yuko and Miichan got together something had to came out from it. This new bond was something she felt happy for. She was afraid that the new members on Team K would take some time to get used to their routines and philosophy, but Yuko took no time in making Miichan feeling at home. The same happened to Tomochin who firstly seemed the one more troubled after the shift.

After some more laughs and Sae's protests the other girls began to arrive and when they were all there, the sixteen girls began their rehearsal.

**[…]**

The shooting was finally over and Haruna could take a long and felt breath. Since the beginning of the morning that she, Mariko and Takamina had been taking photos for a magazine. Acchan and Akicha were supposed to be there too, but some other work was delaying their presence, so their shoots would be taken later when the other three girls would take a break and eat lunch.

Mariko was playing with her Iphone sending tweets to Yukarin, playing with the busy girl that wanted some sort of break from her dull morning. Haruna decided to join Mariko. She always felt at ease with her and had a great time in her company. Lately they have been spending lots of time together and she couldn't deny that it helped her notice Mariko's charms. When the older woman saw Haruna's coming into her direction she waved at her.

"_Hi there! Taking a break?"_

"_Yes. Takamina is finishing so then we only have to wait for Acchan and Akichan. What are you doing?"_

"_Yukarin seems to be having a dull time, so I'm cheering her up."_

"_More like teasing her I suppose."_

Sharing some laughs the girls were interrupted by Takamina who finished her share of work. She already had change into her daily clothes so the two tall girls assumed she had business elsewhere. The thing was…she had again put on a strange attire.

"_What's with those loose pants Takamina? Are you trying to hide something maybe we should know about?"_

Haruna patted slightly Mariko on the shoulder and then decided to enter the teasing.

"_Yeah, wanna talk about those pants?"_

Takamina obviously got all embarrassed and pissed, throwing her hands to the air.

"_That again? Geez give me a break! And stop looking at me, these are cool."_

"_Cool? You can't be serious. Wait until Acchan's here, you'll see what I mean."_

"_Leave Acchan out of this! Besides…I'm in a hurry so I can't talk, but expect to hear from me later. You guys are going right?"_

Haruna and Mariko exchanged looks and shook their shoulders in confusion. Mariko tried to remember if she had made plans but nothing occurred to her. Haruna pouted and titled her head to the side. Takamina watched the two and wondered if they were teasing her again or just really didn't know.

"_You know...dinner, with Noro, Yuko and Miichan?"_

It didn't seem to click anything so Takamina gave up.

"_We don't know of any dinner. Any occasion?"_

"_Well yeah! To celebrate SDN's single debut! Anyway, Yuko was supposed to tell you so you'll hear about it anyway. Gotta go, bye."_

The little captain began to speed up and joined her manager at the door. Mariko exchanged looks again with Haruna and then spit something before Takamina was out of reach.

"_Oh! And drop those pants somewhere, they blind me!"_

But Takamina didn't seem to hear it.

**[…]**

During the afternoon more shooting sessions where scheduled and the various rooms were filled with girls. Because of their game release, some girls were still shooting for the posters and promotional videos, but some samples of the game were already distributed for the girls to check it out.

Haruna was testing it on her PSP when Mariko appeared with two lattes on her hand.

"_Already playing the game? It is fun?"_

She put down the lattes and took a seat closer to the girl, opening her latte to put some sugar. Haruna seemed very concentrated into the game and didn't even hear Mariko.

'She is so into the game…So cute!'

She took a slip on her latte and put some sugar into the other she brought for Haruna. When she bended to the table to mix it, she noticed whose girl she was playing with. Her lines and image appeared on the screen and she felt somehow happy to see Haruna playing with her. Her cheeks turned slightly red and she fangirled on the inside. Haruna's eyes left the screen for a bit and she finally realized that Mariko had brought her a latte.

"_Oh sorry, I didn't realize you were here. Thank you for the latte, I needed something like this. I'm so tired, my cheeks hurt from smiling."_

Mariko watched Haruna drinking it and decided to seize the moment to tease her friend.

"_You know…If you want to seduce me or play the right cards to get me, why play a game when you can get the real thing?"_

"_What?"_

Haruna opened her mouth in disbelief. Her eyes were blinking furiously and Mariko couldn't stop herself from adding more salt to the wound.

"_I didn't know you had those kind of feelings for me. I'm honored, but someone is going to be jealous too…"_

"_Geez Mari-chan it's nothing like that! I just happened to be curious. You meanie…"_

They laugh it off a bit more and then Mariko was called by her manager. Her break was over and she was needed in room 2.

"_Seems like my break is over. Oh and try not to hurt my feelings on the game, 'cuz you know…I would like you better if you were a lady and did everything I ask for."_

Sticking out her tongue and winking, Mariko left a dumbstruck Haruna looking at her in her natural oblivious state. Mariko had to admit it was the cutest thing ever and that's why she did it all the time. What Haruna didn't know was that Mariko's heart was beating faster than usual, but she understood it as an effect of surprise at seeing Haruna playing her story. It was a bit embarrassing but funny and it felt kind of good on the inside.

**[…]**

Later on that day, Yuko joined the girls on the shooting. Most of her teammates had already did it in the afternoon, but because she had another job to do she had to leave it for the end of the day. Team A had passed the day there, since most of their frontgirls had time to wrap the Theatre photo's shooting and she would join them to had hers taken.

She spotted Haruna coming out from one of the rooms and waved her, making a sign for her to come closer. The other girl waved back and walked to her. Yuko was seated at one of the sofas around the place and when Haruna was in front of her, she slapped softly her own hands on her lap telling her to take a seat. Haruna ignored her and seated next to her. Yuko felt disappointed but started conversation anyway. She was in a good mood after all.

"_Today's a busy day huh?"_

"_Yeah, I'm a bit tired. I heard you're doing fine on your new drama."_

"_It's lots of fun and I get to wear all these cool sets of nails, but it's also very tiring sometimes. I miss being you guys…especially with you."_

Haruna blinked and Yuko noticed that her hand was touching Haruna's fingertips. She gave the girl that look of honesty that only she had for her, but Haruna felt embarrassed.

"_Don't say things like that."_

"_Oh but it's true. I miss chatting with you and about all those things that only us talk about. Don't you like to be with me?"_

"_It's not that, it's the way you say things. You always make it look like you're cooking something else – "_

Before she could finish her sentence, Mariko bumped in and smiled at the two. Takamina returned from her other job with some of the girls and was still mumbling about how cool her pants were, but no one seemed to pay attention to her anymore.

"_Are you two already flirting? How cute! Can I snap a picture?"_

"_No one's flirting!"_

"_Nyan Nyan you're hurting my feelings…"_

The three laughed and the previous seriousness from Yuko's tone completely disappeared. She was back to her jokes and like usual, Mariko was the first to get them started. The three of them have been bonding a lot lately. Mariko was really cool and well, Nyan Nyan _was _Nyan Nyan, so whenever they were together it was a blast.

Takamina was left alone and began reading some One Piece manga. She needed to high her spirits. Everyone had been making fun of her pants and she had enough of it.

"_Ah! Takamina, what is that?"_

Said a mouth opened Acchan. Itano came behind her and pointed her finger at Team A's chibi captain.

"_I can't believe you own something like that! Those are even more hideous than the banana's parka."_

Itano started to feel Takamina's legs up, feeling the texture of the pants and jokingly trying to find something manly on her friend. Takamina was now so pissed, reaching the top of her patience. Mariko, Haruna and Yuko were laughing their lungs out. Acchan was just perplexed, it felt just like that banana's parka fashion episode she shoot before. It made her wonder why she was such good friends with Takamina.

Takamina had enough and got out of the room scowling. Miichan passed by her, but because of her mood, she didn't even greet her no3b's partner. The sassy girl looked surprised but as soon as she got into the room she understood what happened.

"_Someone's in a bad mood…"_

"_Oh don't mind her. We were teasing her because of her pants, I guess Itano went overboard with her leg groping."_

Mariko had seat and was playing with her Iphone again. She was updating her status and took advantage of it to tweet Haruna. The girl was still beside Yuko and they were very close at the moment. Yuko had her hand on Haruna's lap and every time she said something energetically, her head would touch Haruna's shoulder and stayed there a bit, resting. She felt like smooching her, but the right moment was still nowhere to be found.

Haruna's bag vibrated from the other side of the sofa and she quickly cut contact with Yuko to see what it was. She grabbed her cellphone and smiled at Mariko's tweet. She answered back and put her cellphone back on de bag. Yuko watched, not so amused. It wasn't like she was jealous or even upset, she just didn't understood the whole Twitter scene and wanted to spend some time with Haruna and the mood she usually was able to set just wasn't happening, like something else was occupying Haruna's head. Yuko had a busy schedule and lately she's been feeling kind of lonely, so any free minute she was allowed to have, she decided to spend it between friends.

Their break eventually ended when Mayuyu, Yukirin and Sumire finally got to the place. It was already time for the AKBINGO's shootings and they needed to change places. The staff kindly asked the girls to leave and enter the buses on the outside. Since everyone was already gathered they didn't needed to wait any longer.

When they arrived to NTV, the girls began to change into their AKBINGO outfits and were full of energy to shoot. Mariko looked to her side and Haruna was having trouble with her hair. It got stuck on her thin necklace and she was having a hard time trying to take it off. Mariko put her hand on Haruna's shoulder and smiled.

"_Nyaro do you need some help?"_

"_Yeah…It got stuck and I can't pull it out."_

Mariko made motion for Haruna to stop and carefully with her fingers tried to untie the knot that Haruna's hair was making around the necklace. With a little patience and care, she was able to release it without pulling or breaking any hair. Yuko was staring at them with an open jaw.

'_Why do I feel like I'm getting some sort of vibe…?'_

Because she was staring for too long, Miichan patted her in the back.

"_Hoy, you look like a pervert."_

Yuko tried to cover her mouth and looked away. Haruna was finishing and Mariko already went to the make-up chair. Miichan facepalmed herself and shook her head. Could Yuko be any less obvious?

"_I was closer to Haruna…couldn't she just had asked me?"_

"_Oh come on! Mariko offered herself. You're trying too hard not to try getting her attention. Come here I'll give you a hug."_

Yuko embraced Miichan and looked at Mariko. She didn't know what it was she was feeling. It was like she got some sort of wicked vibe, not about that specific moment but about the future. She had read about it somewhere before, but even now when she wanted to reach a point, her head didn't let her.

Her good mood was slowly changing as time passed by. She was just feeling weird and was pissed by not being able to understand why. The shooting was being kind of boring and nothing funny was happening. Mayuyu was beside her and once in a while she tried to draw Yuko's attention by elevating her hands in a oshiri hand sign. Yuko did it a couple of times but got bored. Mayuyu felt that something was wrong.

"_Are you feeling okay?"_

"_Huh? Oh yeah, fine. Just fine don't worry."_

Mayuyu decided to drop any further questions and wrapped her left arm on Yuko's. The squirrel girl seemed surprised but because it was a good thing, she smiled and kept on watching the girls dodge balling each other's. It was so much funny when she was playing, she thought.

**[…]**

It was already too late when they finished the day. Everyone was a bit tired and some were really dead tired. Yuko got a message from Noro telling her the details of the dinner. For some reason it had to be rescheduled and it gave more time for Yuko to invite the other girls since she had forgotten about it. She had so many things to do and to think about, and seeing Mariko teasing Haruna somehow didn't helped, so she ended up forgetting to invite them.

She waited for them at the entrance of NTV and said goodbye to Takamina, Mayuyu and Tomochin.

Meanwhile Mariko was doing her hair and spotted Haruna playing again on her PSP. She was about to make a comment about Haruna still being playing with her but she quickly realized that this time she had picked a different character. She was playing with Yuko and she automatically mailed Yuko about it. She loved to see the squirrel girl riled up and this was just the perfect excuse.

'Your Nyan Nyan is seducing you on her PSP 3 3 Careful with that \|^-~|*'

Yuko's answer was incredibly fast, making Mariko jump on her step.

'WHAT?'

Mariko laughed like crazy and put her cellphone on her back. She was such a teaser! After dropping the bomb she was going to ignore Yuko's e-mails and just pretend she was busy to let the girl waiting for more. She patted Haruna on her back and they walked to the exit, not knowing that Yuko was there, waiting for them.

When they appeared at the entrance, the squirrel girl ran towards Haruna and jumped into her arms.

"_Nyan Nyan I love you soooo much!"_

"_Hoy!...Yuko…what, stop!"_

Mariko sighed and decided to take a photo. This was too priceless to miss. Still, while doing it, it crossed her mind that she didn't mind to be the one jumping into Haruna's arms. She blinked twice when her senses returned and she made herself aware of what just happened. She shook her head and went silent for a moment.

'What was that?...'

Yuko's loud voice interrupted her thoughts and she saw Haruna hitting Yuko on the shoulder. Yuko calmed down and told them about the dinner party. The girls seemed pleased with the idea and marked it on their agendas.

Because it was already too late, they called a taxi. Haruna made sure Mariko would seat next to her. Yuko was still just too excited about something she absolutely had no idea of and Yuko's hands tended to move on their own when they were together.

All the way home, Mariko stayed a bit quiet and her head made a serious travel through her thoughts.

Something was changing…


	3. Chapter 2

**Collide**

by **naitou**

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_Chapter Two_

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_If I could ask you one single thing, would honestly tell me your feelings?_

As the sun appeared behind those heavy and dark clouds, Yuko's alarm ringed explosively. It seemed like fireworks every morning, but still, it was the only way to make the girl jump out from her bed. She really enjoyed being beneath the sheets and had a hard time getting out from her comfy warm. As an Idol, she never got that much sleep. She had a busy schedule and even more now that she was shooting for a drama. She wasn't the main character but still had a good share of spotlight. She loved it! Every chance she got to enter in a drama she gladly worked hard for it. After all, it was her dream to become an actress that could one day represent Japan.

Still, with her eyes closed, she tried to turn off the alarm and after she successfully did, she slowly got out of bed.

**[...]**

Haruna had been shooting for almost two hours. She and Miichan were now having some coffee, waiting for Takamina to arrive. The short girl had been talking with the producers and was asked to tape an announcement. It was about her photobook and she looked radiant. After all these years she finally had a chance to release one and even though she was shy about her appearance, it didn't hurt so much to take the photos. She wanted her fans to have a look at her and to get to know her better. She still had a lot to show and wanted her fans to enjoy it too.

_"Ne Koji, do you see that? Takamina's blushing."_

Haruna's eyes left her cellphone and she glanced at Takamina. She really looked embarrassed with something.

_"She is too shy! After all this time she still isn't able to cover up her feelings properly. I wonder what she is thinking about..."_

_"Maybe she's thinking of Acchan."_

_"Haha, I wonder...Hey! Why did you bring her into the picture?"_

Miichan patted Haruna on the shoulder and grinned. The sassy girl would never lose a chance to spice things up.

_"I don't know, I was thinking of her and thought it would make a good joke."_

She laughed and Haruna poked her in her cheek. This girl was just too nuts and lately she noticed that hanging out with Yuko had been changing her a bit. She seemed even more of a teaser and always made up manga scenarios out of the blue. Not that Yuko was entirely at fault, but ever since she got into Team K, something changed in her.

Takamina joined the girls and grabbed a seat. She looked relieved and put her head on the table.

_"What's wrong? Already tired?"_

_"Ah no. Just that whenever I think about the fans reactions to my photobook, I wonder if they will like it. I really want to know their responses to it. I'm excited."_

_"Will you relax! It's a fine photobook. You actually look cute in a couple of pictures."_

Hearing Miichan didn't help her expectations. It would go on sale in a couple of days and she could never stop worry. It was a part of her inner self and she couldn't help it. Sometimes she just couldn't stop showing her fragile and insecure side.

_"What do you mean "I actually look cute in a couple of them"?"_

_"Just that. You worry too much. It'll be fine. Here, have a cookie."_

**[…]**

Noro Kayo had been texting Yuko for the last thirty minutes. The preparations for the dinner were all set up, but the older girl needed her friend to talk to her. It was important and because the older girls were making secret preparations, Noro and Yukari had to take cautions about what could leak about the dinner.

Last time Yuko was responsible for the invitations, she almost forgot to tell Haruna and Mariko about it. When Noro heard of it, she felt like killing Yuko!

"YUKO! I know you're not taking a nap, eating or even pooping, so will you please answer my e-mails? \(-)'''/"

The truth was, Yuko was snacking some poki into her huge mouth and reading a manga. After getting to the office her mood changed. She didn't pay too much attention to it because soon she would need all her energy and smiling face to do a job, so she was simply enjoying her waiting moments to do random stuff.

Whenever she thought about it, lately she really had been feeling a bit lonely. She and the rest of the senbatsu had gotten more and more individual jobs, and, she hadn't been that much in the theater. Her only contacts with her teammates and friends were via cellphone and it just wasn't the same.

'_Now that I think about it…'_

She finally realized that Noro probably would e-mail her about the dinner. Since it had been planned for another day, she ought to receive the details. As she opened her cellphone her jaw dropped at the number of notifications on it. Her whole screen was full of e-mails from Noro and when she checked the hours, she realized the girl had been for quite some time trying to talk to her.

She put her hand in front of her mouth and tried to cover her laugh, but to no result, because as soon as she read the word "poop" she bursted out loud.

"Kayo-chan! Good morning for you too! Sorry about the non-response mode ^,^ I was busy with my own stuff, what do you wanna talk about? Maybe the dinner party? :3"

Noro's response came pretty fast. Almost like the girl was relieved that finally Yuko returned to the living world.

"Your own stuff? Like what girl? Don't tell me, it's better not even ask since I smell a very bad thing (and no it's not a fart, just in case you wanna crack a fart joke so early). Anywaaay ^^ tonight is the dinner party, don't forget! The girls have been working hard on the preparations."

"What preparations? Isn't it at a restaurant, like a formal dinner? PS – I don't feel like cracking a fart joke :P"

"Yes it is! But…OH YOU'LL SEE! PS – you're getting me worried…"

"Do I need to bring anything special? You guys aren't planning anything weird are you?...OMG, you ARE! .''''"

"Meetan is not at fault, this time was Yukari's idea. But it's a secret, so come and bring a smile. Yeah because I'm sure you are not wearing one right now. As an advice, drop "your own stuff" into a box, don't over think about it! You are ALWAYS like that ^^ Well, I got a job. Will text you the dress code. See you later! Xoxo"

Yuko's eyes stopped at the dressing code part and made a weird face. Something seemed suspicious. She decided to just relax and also drop her own thoughts about her supposed loneliness. Tonight she was going to see her friends, so at least it wasn't going to be that bad – it was going to be awesome!

Her manager called her name and asked Yuko to go to the reunion room. Her next job would start shortly and some details still needed to be confirmed. Before she headed to the room, she decided to e-mail Haruna.

"Good morning! 3 Hey, do you wanna pass on Maris later to do our hair? I wanna get pretty to the dinner ;)"

**[…]**

Mariko was taking a break and drank some water. It was a bit hot in the studio and her clothes weren't helping. She then cleaned the sweat from her face with a tissue and heard her Iphone vibrate. Taking a quick look at it, she read the e-mail Yukari had sent her.

"Mari-chan, don't forget about the dinner tonight. We've decided on the dress code: {gender bending roles} – now, before you wonder what it means, well, it's simple, we want you to come dressed as a boy. Don't ask why, we just want our dinner to be different and fun! :3 See you soon *"

The tall girl seemed confused.

'_Gender bending roles? That is a very weird theme for a formal dinner. Maybe something is up and no one told me about it. But I guess…it will be fun?'_

She let out a sigh and drank more water. As the photographer and her stylist approached, she knew the studio was ready for the next session. She smiled and got up, completely forgetting to twit Haruna about the dressing code.

**[…]**

It was already 5PM when Haruna checked her cellphone. She was surprised to receive a Yuko's e-mail. Two days had passed since last time they saw each other at the AKBINGO studio. The dinner had been changed so before she opened the e-mail she thought that maybe it was about that.

As she flipped it, she read the small request. It seemed like a very good idea and her hair also needed some repair. She rushed to send an answer back and minutes later Yuko responded.

"Nyan Nyan! Let's meet up at 6PM in our little coffee place. I'll be waiting 3"

Haruna smiled and sent confirmation. Meanwhile Miichan appeared behind her back and hugged her.

"_What are you doing?"_

"_I'm meeting Yu-chan in an hour."_

"_Wow! A date?"_

"_What! No, we are going to Maris."_

Takamina spotted the two and walked to them.

"_Hey I've received an e-mail confirming the dinner tonight. Seems like more people were invited at last minute, so they changed the meeting place. Are you guys done for the day?"_

"_Kojipa is leaving, she's meeting with Yuko."_

"_Uuu really? How's she doing? I haven't heard from her since AKBINGO's shooting."_

"_She's fine, I guess. Anyway I gotta go. I'll see you guys later."_

Haruna grabbed her bag and waved. When she passed the door, she brought her head back, peeking at the door and shoot a straight glare at Takamina.

"_And Takamina, pleeeease don't bring any fashion fail."_

Takamina sulked and Miichan patted on the shoulder while laughing louder. The two girls also searched for their stuff and dressed their coats, getting ready to leave also. The dinner was scheduled for 9PM and everyone wanted to look pretty.

They were giggling on their way to the station when both received new e-mails. Both were from Yukari and both said the same.

'_Dressing code?'_

The two girls looked at each other and by the way they were exchanging looks, they both realized that they received the same e-mail. They didn't even confirm the subject, just stared speechless for an eternity, interrupted by the train's arrival.

**[…]**

When Haruna met with Yuko, the squirrel girl was all full of smiles. Since it was still soon, they decided to eat something in Shibuya before heading to Maris. They ordered something light and chat a bit.

"_How's the drama shootings?"_

"_I love it. Everyone is so nice and fun. I have lots of fun everyday and learn something new."_

"_That's good."_

Haruna could see in Yuko's eyes her excitement and she always liked that passion she had for acting. Haruna liked lots of things, her only problem was to _just _like the things and never attribute any other meaning or even deepen her affection for it. Miichan usually reads her as someone who can't differentiate her liking to things to something deeper as _loving_ and gets oblivious to most things around her.

They talked for a bit more and then decided to check into Maris. They were warmly received and each seated on a different chair. Their conversation continued from where they last left it and joined by the stylists they had a great time together. Doing this kind of this always left a very warm feeling on Yuko. She simply adored this moments where she casually could have fun with Haruna.

Two hours later they were ready. Both colored their hairs and dried it properly. The shampoo scent on Haruna's hair was teasing Yuko, but she held her instincts as best as she knew. They paid and head out for the station.

"_So, what are you wearing for tonight?"_

Haruna put a finger on her chin and tilted her head slightly to the left. It felt like that thought hadn't yet crossed her mind. This made Yuko grin.

"_I'm not sure yet. Since more people were invited maybe I'll dress the one piece Mari-chan offered me."_

"_Mari-chan bought you a present?"_

"_Ah…I don't think she bought it. She got the present from a job but she thought that it may fit me better."_

"_Then I guess I'm eager to see you."_

Her smile no longer had that small jealously that began to form. She didn't knew why but lately she has been very protective of Haruna. Could her loneliness be a part of this new state?

Their way fell on a weird silence.

As they walked to the station, Yuko couldn't stop the butterflies on her stomach. She would just get so nervous and anxious around Haruna.

Haruna had her arms crossed and it was getting cold. She forgot to bring gloves and the pockets of her coat were a bit tight. Yuko was struggling to find something right to say to break the ice, but all she could think about was in how much she wanted to hold hands with Haruna in that moment. But because she had her arms crossed she couldn't get much closer to her. Haruna then decided to break the ice, the silence was kind of making her fell awkward. She knew Yuko and the girl's strange behavior. Something was up.

_"Uwa so cold!"_

_"Yeah..."_

_"Hum, it there something wrong Yu-chan? Are you tired?"_

_"Oh it's not that, it's just...you know, I noticed you weren't wearing any gloves and I kind of feel like holding your hand, but with yours arms crossed..."_

Haruna looked at the poor squirrel, who was flushing with embarrassment and stumping on her words. She uncrossed her arms and reached for Yuko's right hand. The smaller girl looked surprised but happy at the same time. It has been a while since last time Haruna did something to her. They've been so busy with their jobs and moments like these looked so yesterday's news.

When they got to the station Yuko stopped in front of Haruna.

"_Then I'll see you later."_

"_Yeah see you later."_

The moment their hands separated the atmosphere seemed to change. They followed their ways and then they received an e-mail. It was about the dressing code and both on their exists looked confused.

'_What kind of dinner is this?'_

Yuko decided to mail Noro back. On the other side of the station, Haruna received a tweet from Mariko and it wasn't about the dinner…


	4. Chapter 3

**Collide**

by **naitou**

* * *

_Chapter Three_

* * *

It was almost everything ready for the secret party and the girls from SDN48 were working hard. It began as a simple dinner idea, organized by Noro, Yukari and Meetan, but then Meetan decided to turn it into something funnier. Yukari was the one with the party idea, since it could be safer than any of Meetan's ideas. Noro then decided that a big party would be more considerate and it could be a good idea to join the SDN's girls and her ex-teammates from AKB. Once again it was Yukari who suggested the theme for the party and everyone got excited, but to be even more interesting the three girls decided that it was better to keep it low profile from the AKB48's girls. Noro gathered the girls and they began preparing everything. Some girls like Acchan and Yuko were busy with their drama shootings and other AKB's activities, but it would be awesome if they could attend. Yukari made sure Acchan would attend. She always had that effect on the Team A's ace and she knew that if she pushed the right buttons, the girl next door – Acchan – wouldn't be able to refuse.

So their initial plan was to schedule a dinner, but somehow Yuko messed up some invitations and they changed the date, but the plan was still to make sure the girls thought it was just a simple dinner and a more private one. Just a little celebration.

The day arrived and to surprise the girls they sent e-mails informing them about a dress code. This was to both get them excited and curious. A gender bending theme party: where the girly girls would reveal their masculine poker faces and the sporty ones try out cute dresses.

[…]

As soon as Haruna received Mariko's message, they set up a quick date. The airhead girl was curious about Mariko's vague choice of words and changed her train route. She still had to look for her dress code, as she had yet no idea how to fulfill the expectations. It was a weird dress code, fit for jobs and parodies, and she wondered if it was all but a joke. Riku's character popped in her head as she thought about it, but it was bit too much for a simple girls dinner and besides, she couldn't take Riku's clothes for personal use.

She walked out from the train station and head to a small coffee shop outside of it. Mariko was already there and waved to her.

[…]

Ever since they drove back on the taxi it had been bugging her. She was friends with Haruna since their early days on AKB and they shared a lot in common, but the past months had been the best. They had lots of work together and the use of Twitter spiced up their interactions. She had always teased Yuko about her never-ending-crush on Haruna. It had been there for years and she couldn't take Yuko serious. A crush wouldn't last that long, would it? But then again, it was Yuko she was talking about; the thin line between seriousness and joking/fooling around was too blurred in her case.

The thing was: Mariko's always flirted with boys, being them her co-workers or funny people she crossed paths with. It was her nature. But lately Haruna has been in her mind a lot. She tweets more just to call the bishoujo girl attention and flirts with her a sometimes, and to top that, last time she even felt jealous of Yuko.

She asked for this date because she really needed to see her and it couldn't wait until the dinner. When Haruna said she would meet her, her heart felt weird. She felt it warm, excited and a bit anxious. She even felt her mind spazzing a bit with random thoughts of her and her voice.

Something was wrong with her and she feared that maybe her little crush on her friend was evolving into something else.

[…]

Yuko was coming home still wondering about Noro's message. It was a bit weird and she began suspecting of something. What kind of dress code was that when they would be in a public restaurant?

She opened her apartment's door and took off her shoes. She made her way into her room and jumped to the bed. Her eyes watched the ceiling and her mind drifted away for a moment. Remembering her moment with Haruna awoke her fangirl side and a big smile appeared on her lips. She was so happy with it that couldn't even tell the different sensations at that moment.

She knew that what she felt for the girl crossed the line sometimes and being around her too much drove her crazy, but couldn't help but want more and more. In her head she thought that there was nothing wrong about how she felt, but at the same time she had to act and think rationally about it. She was an Idol and all she could do was to spice up the fans with fanservice, to delude them and keep them happy. But what if after so many jokes, fooling around and listening to the fans, a mere girl crush would blossom into a reality that could be both painful and troublesome?

She got up from the bed and went to cool off her face. She had only a couple of hours to get ready and by the intention of the message, she ought to present herself as a cute girly girl.

[…]

When Acchan arrived to the scheduled spot, her eyes frowned to the name of the restaurant. She spotted Yukari with a beautiful red dress and walked to her. The older girl smiled as she did her inspection on Acchan's clothes. She was wearing a black tuxedo and her hair held in a ponytail. She even put on some light make-up.

"_Acchan you made it!"_

"_Hi Yukarin! Congratulations for the single, it is awesome! You girls are awesome."_

"_Thanks. And look at you, sooo handsome!"_

"_Yeah…about that, I didn't have much time to prepare anything but I hope I understood what the theme was all about. But at the same time I feel so embarrassed."_

She brought her hands to her face and tried to cover her heated cheeks.

"_It's perfect! I like this side of you. Listen, almost everybody is already here, so go take a look inside."_

Something in Yukari's tone left Acchan suspicious and the mischievous smile on her lips didn't help the thought. She followed Yukari's instructions and then entered the place. It seemed like a fancy place with a little hall at the entrance. A tall girl with a Veneza mask came to greet her and carried a plate with other masks.

"_Welcome Maeda Atsuko. Here, please choose one of these and come inside. The party is about to begun."_

This was only getting weirder and weirder. How the girl knew her name she had no idea and a mask? Besides the suspicious dress code she had also to wear a mask? Somehow Meetan's figure crossed her mind and she wondered if this wasn't a trap.

She chose one the masks, choosing the one that would fit better with her clothing and followed the girl. She pulled up a curtain and made motion for Acchan to come in. She stepped in and arrived to a huge place, with a weird choice of lights and all decorated.

[…]

Almost failing the schedule hour, Yuko presented herself at the front door, waiting for someone to greet her. Noro told her to text her when she got to the place and after Yuko did so, Noro came a couple of minutes later to check on her.

The older woman took a look at her squirrel friend and giggled a bit. Yuko was full of grace in a beautiful short black dress and had her hair down and straight.

"_Damn Yuko! Heads are going to roll tonight, you are HOT baby!"_

Yuko had to admit that maybe she over did it. She didn't know the restaurant and because it was in Shibuya she wanted to look good for once. The harsh critics at the AKBINGO show got the best of her and little by little she was trying to dress better and change her sense of fashion. But maybe this time she went a little too ahead for the occasion, after all, only her closest friends and acquaintances would be present.

"_Is it too much Kayo-chan? I mean…What the heck is this place?"_

"_Oh no…"_

Just like Yukari, Noro made a mischievous smile.

"_You are just perfect. Come, lets greet the others. Some of the girls are running late but why not start catching up now?"_

They entered together and after the same girl greet her and handle a mask to her and to Noro, Yuko felt something was off.

"_Kayo-chan, a mask?"_

"_Shh, just put it on. It was Yukari's idea, you know…Meetan's idea was kinkier so we played it safe."_

Yuko put on the mask reluctantly. This could only mean bad stuff. The SDN's girls have been all secrets during the whole week and even if she understood how important it was for their group to finally release a single and have it succeeded, this way of celebrating was still off.

She passed the curtain and felt Noro at her side giggling. It was then that she finally noticed how clueless she was and dumb. She wasn't at a restaurant! And she wasn't invited to a dinner, but instead a secret party! Her first thought was to kill Noro for the lie but then she took a closer look around and in the crowd she began to spot familiar faces. Well…all of them had masks but the girls with dresses and causal girl clothes were the only ones that she could somehow identify. Then she wanted to smack herself for not considering it too.

She turned her head to yell at Noro but she was no longer with her. Her eyes couldn't find her friend in the crowd, so she looked around a bit more. The original small group she was expecting to meet was replaced by the four times more people she could count.

"_Wow, this is one hell of a mask party!"_

As she let those words become louder under her breath, someone poked her on the cheek. She turned around and found a short little boy. She eyed him from head to toes and when her eyes returned to his eyes she realized that it was Miichan.

"_Even behind that mask and beautiful dress I could tell it was you Yuu-chan."_

"_And look at you Miichan! You look like a little boy."_

"_I sense that this party was made up for coupling, there are no boys in here. But it wasn't that hard, I mean, I already crossdressed once."_

"_I wonder if Meetan isn't having second thoughts…"_

"_You think? I think the girls just want to have fun and tease us. Besides, they also invited SND48 members. Wanna meet them?"_

Yuko could tell who the SDN members were, or at least almost all of them. Most of them were tall and mature looking, even those who were wearing suits or cosplaying male characters. She only knew those who were ex-AKB members and Nachu because of her Daruma character. Curiously she couldn't spot that weird looking person.

"_Where is Harunyan?"_

Miichan blinked and brought a finger to her chin.

"_I don't think she's here yet. At least I haven't spotted her around."_

She adjusted her black wig and put her hands in her pockets. Miichan looked like a rock star, with the black wild wig, heavy jewelry on her chest_,_ her wasted black pants and cream dirty t-shirt.

"_Let's eat Yuu-chan! They have the best snacks in here…and also…some booze."_

She smacked weakly Yuko's arm at her sentence, trying to imply crazy ideas on her partner on crime. Yuko just facepalmed.

"_Miichan! You little…"_

Miichan grabbed Yuko's arm and they walked into the crowd. They spotted a very cute Acchan chatting with a very feminine Takamina. Then the two Tomomis who came looking like twin brothers. They stopped closer to them and engaged conversation, with Miichan clinging on Kasai crushing like mad. Itano was a bit annoyed for agreeing to come the party and it was then that Yuko realized that the only girls who knew about the party were the ones who weren't supposed to be a part of the initial dinner. Acchan had a weird glowing in her eyes, slightly hidden behind the huge mask. Yuko wondered it that glow was because of Takamina. The small leader had her hair down and straightened, with no ribbon to be seen, pink lipstick on her lips, a light orange skirt and a white shirt. Her mask was also big and with an exotic cut, giving her a very different look, an almost mature and sensual look.

After a while they eventually sat down at one of the sofas and placed some plates with food and drinks on the small table closer to them. They were discussing the pleasant atmosphere at the party and how mature it seemed. They randomly saw Maeetan talking to the younger girls and drinking all kinds of drinks. Noro was always speaking with her teammates and also with some girls from old Team K.

"_Say, where is Sae, Yukirin, Mayuyu, you know…the rest of the people?"_

"_Last time I saw Sae she was talking with the twins from SDN. Yukirin is hosting a radio show and probably won't make it. Mayuyu had an event in Akihabara about some Anime and must be tired or dead from too much spazzing over her otakuness. The rest is all here, but it becomes hard to know who is who with the masks and the disguises."_

Itano was astonished with Takamina's description. The girl really knew everything that every member had to do. Acchan could only feel proud of her friend, it was small things like this that showed how devoted and caring Takamina was for AKB and the girls.

Yuko slipped the rest of her wine into her mouth and closed her eyes to listen to the beat. As she opened her eyes, she looked at the entrance and spotted someone coming in. Something kicked on her as she watched the mysterious figure making its way inside and grabbing a drink. She had a white, black decorated mask and was wearing a dark blue suit with black shirt and a tie. She was elegant and had an enigmatic aura. The mask was too big to make out her features but her hair was done in a way that it was short but not a wig. Kasai noticed the focused gaze Yuko was putting on the figure and observing it more, Kasai felt hot inside.

"_I wonder who it is…"_

Itano and Miichan heard the Chiu's girl words and soon all the girls at the table stared at her.

"_Boy…this is the best illusion party ever."_

Everyone was laughing at Kasai's sudden spazzing but Yuko couldn't stop staring. Not everyone at the party was an Idol, familiars and friends were also attending, the only rule was that it was a girl's party. As she watched the figure enter the crowd and receive half assed greetings from shy girls and curious ones, Yuko got up and filled another glass of wine.

She was pulled to the figure like a magnet and her mind was completely absent of thought. Not even the eager to see Haruna could interfere into this raw attraction she was feeling by an illusion figure. She knew it wasn't a boy, but she couldn't care less since the wine was already kicking in. Miichan watched her trying to decide either or not to approach the girl, and she smiled at the realization of who she was. She whispered to Takamina's ear and they giggled like kids. If only Yuko wasn't so oblivious…

'Just who are you?'


	5. Chapter 4

**Collide**

by **naitou**

**

* * *

**

_Chapter Four_

_

* * *

_

Twenty minutes had passed since Yuko arrived to the party and she simply couldn't stop staring at the beauty that was now talking to some pretty SDN girls. She seemed to be engaging into an entertaining conversation. The girls were delighted with her and when one of them touched her in the shoulder, Yuko felt a bit jealous. Miichan and Takamina were still giggling at her behavior but it didn't seem to bother her in the least. Itano was getting a bit bored and decided to leave them to grab more snacks. Tomomi was chatting with Acchan when Sae came to greet them.

"_Nice party huh? You guys look so good!"_

She took a seat next to Tomomi, one that was empty by Itano's departure and poured a glass of wine to taste it.

"_Someone seems to be enjoying herself."_

The girl's heads turned to the left to check on who spoke and they found Mariko licking her lips with amusement.

"_Mari-chan! You look so cool!"_

Miichan was the one to speak first. Mariko decided to pull on her Danso costume, the same one she used in AKBINGO and to everyone's happiness they still found her quite charming. Tomomi was having the time of her life. Maybe a bit too much, but Takamina feared the poor girl's heart wouldn't be intact by the end of the night. Every time someone appeared she would drop her jaw and giggle like a fangirl, not really keeping still in her seat.

"_Yes, seems like Yuko got her eyes on someone and is looking so dumbstruck. Are you sure you don't want to tell her hi?"_

Putting a finger on the wound, Miichan decided to tease her hard. After all, she couldn't stay so oblivious to what was happening for such a long time. The obvious answer was right in front of her eyes, so why getting so shy about it? Sae burst in laughter when she finally realized what was happening and poked Tomomi's cheek to check on the girl that seemed to have fainted from Mariko's attire.

"_Yeah Yuko, go say hi. If you keep staring like that your eyes will probably explode behind that mask."_

Mariko swallowed her drink and put a hand on her shoulder to spice the girl. But Yuko simply froze. Somehow she didn't seem to be able to formulate words and her train of thought was cloudy. She felt shivers in her body whenever the girl laughed and her body was getting hotter by the second. Maybe she should quit the wine, it wasn't making her any good.

"_I can't believe you of all people are still here. What happened to pervert Yuko who wouldn't let a chance like this slip under her finger? Stop being a rock and get your butt out from this seat."_

Acchan finally decided to speak up. She was the easiest to become bored when people acted shy with no reason. Everyone already knew who the girl was and it was so obvious who was the missing person at the table. If her squirrel mind decided to guess and answer Sayaka she would get hit in the head right away, since the tall captain was at home studying her role for a play. Sayaka was a devoted person and wouldn't fool around when working at something, so coming to a party to loosen up wasn't even a possibility.

The lights in the room changed to oranges, reds and light pinks. The music changed to ballads and a romantic atmosphere filled the place.

Mariko grinned and clapped her hands to wake Yuko from her daydreams. _Her plan was working._

"_Oi Yuko, are you paying any attention to what Acchan just said? Get up! If you're not going to approach her at least go get us more food."_

Finally slapping from her trance she decided to get up.

"_Okay, okay. I'll be back in a minute."_

"_Oh and by the way, tell the girl to save a dance for me."_

Yuko shook her head and head to the buffet. As she passed in between the crowd she chit chatted with her teammates and greeted new faces. Almost everyone was there and it filled her with joy. When she arrived at the buffet table she found Itano chewing some chicken and looking at her with teasing eyes. What was wrong with everyone tonight and their mischievous teasing?

"_This chicken is amazing, but not as amazing as what is happening here. You really are something."_

"_And I don't get any of you tonight! What is wrong with you people?"_

"_Tonight you just became the new Takamina."_

Trying to process what Itano meant by her words, she grabbed a plate and started to fill it with food for the girls. Her mind was a bit off and now even her was noticing her own weird behavior. Was it because the day went so smooth?

After a couple of minutes looking for the best food she looked up. Her eyes meet the girl's. She was right in front of her, behind a curtain of shinny and tiny stars, looking in her direction, often looking at her and then to the random figures behind Yuko. It seemed a scenario out of a movie and Yuko began to feel it was exactly what was happening. The question was, would this night have a happy ending too?

_The dawn is breaking  
A light shining through  
You're barely waking  
And I'm tangled up in you_

At the table the girls were watching the squirrel and with smiles pestered in their faces. Acchan got up and extended a hand to Takamina. She wanted to dance and this song was filling her heart with warmth. Takamina blushed a little behind her mask. Even though she didn't quite understood the lyrics, the melody sounded pretty intense on romance. She held Acchan's grip tight and followed her to the center of the room. Miichan felt some sort of happiness and rested her head on Tomomi's shoulder. Mariko looked ahead and contemplated her plan progress.

_Even the best fall down sometimes  
Even the wrong words seem to rhyme  
Out of the doubt that fills my mind  
I somehow find you and I collide _

The mysterious girl decided to make the first move and passed through the curtain, getting a bit closer to the buffet and of course, a bit closer to Yuko. The small girl's hands began to shake slightly and Itano smiled, leaving the table.

In that moment it seemed that only the two of them were in that large room, with no sound or color. Yuko was isolated in her thoughts and time slowed down. In the back of her head she knew who the girl was, but the answer didn't want to come out. It was in that moment that for the first time she questioned her feelings.

The girl stepped ahead and stopped right in front of her. Yuko's eyes wandered from her head to toes and observed every inch of her. For a girl she could be a perfect and handsome boy, either way she seemed to enjoy it.

_Even the best fall down sometimes  
Even the stars refuse to shine  
Out of the back you fall in time  
I somehow find you and I collide_

The girl curved her lips in a small smile. Yuko couldn't see it but the small mole in her lips was still there, ready to give her away at any second if it weren't for the warm lights.

She didn't know if it was because of the melody, but for a second she imagined her lips locking with the beauty in front of her. It was a flash, fast and sloppy, but the sensations stayed glued to her brain. She blushed at her thought and felt a bit dizzy because of the wine. Then she murmured something under her breath, still quite audible to the other girl.

"_Kojipa…"_

The girl slowly brought a hand to her face and slowly put the mask down. The enigma vanished and Yuko's eyes almost popped out from her cavities. A stunning Haruna was the girl behind the mask and she couldn't believe that for moments she was the one her little tipsy self was lusting for – and well, Tomomi too.

Haruna smilled.

"_Hello Yuko."_

She didn't know what to do or say. She was in awe with everything that happened in the last hour. And behind her a very amused Mariko watched them, with a very happy Miichan, a dumbstruck Tomomi and a mouth stuffed Sae. Takamina was dancing in an embrace with Acchan and they completely missed Yuko's reaction.

Suddenly, Yuko felt the song coming to an end and felt the urge to touch Haruna to check if she was real. Out of nowhere she hugged the tall bishoujo and before she could have reacted, Yuko brought her lips to her ear and whispered into them; warm breath tickling Haruna and husky tone spoken.

"_Dance with me."_

Haruna didn't answer but her feet were already slowly moving. Yuko wasn't able to break the hug and she feared that if she did she wouldn't be able to look Haruna in the eye and maybe even, do something she would regret in the next day.

_I'm open, you're closed  
Where I follow, you'll go  
I worry I won't see your face  
Light up again_

Their bodies were moving slowly, almost not moving at all and Yuko didn't know if it was because of the atmosphere or the melody, but she felt this so right and embarrassing at the time, that a couple more glasses of wine would probably help her. Haruna caught a glimpse of Mariko's stare and bowed her head slightly, showing that she did what was asked to.

The song came to its end and in the seconds between the new change of lights and beat, the two girls stared into the emptiness of the moment. Each one of them lost in their trail of thoughts and absence of reality.


	6. Chapter 5

**Collide**

by **naitou**

* * *

_Chapter Five_

* * *

As the song ended, Takamina stopped and Acchan was caught up off guard. She didn't expect the girl to stop and tried to hide a certain disappointment. Her eyes questioned the AKB captain but then she the corner of her eye caught something else. Yuko was dancing with that girl she kept staring at and she wasn't sure if the squirrel girl acknowledged the fact she was a bit tipsy. Acchan knew it was Haruna dancing with Yuko. It was all so obvious from the moment the mischievous girl entered in her trance. And from a distant perspective and outsider one, anyone could tell it was Haruna. Her eyes returned to Takamina and Acchan forced a smile.

"_Wanna go back to the girls?"_

Part of her wished Takamina to say no, but she knew her too well to predict her answer. Takamina took a few seconds before answering and her hesitation or pondering made the Team A's ace light up some expectation.

"_We should but…if you want we could go grab something to drink first. I don't really feel like seating yet."_

A pitch of joy filled Acchan and she realized she had been holding her breath. She smiled and without thinking she grabbed Takamina's hand. A chill ran through Takamina's body as her flesh felt Acchan's touch but she allowed her to guide her through the crowd.

**[…]**

Mariko was enjoying her time and seating next to Miichan, her legs her crossed as well as her arms. She often laughed whenever Kasai released a giggle. The girls were all having a blast with the Chiu girl. She was simply hilarious. But Mariko's attention often lied with what was happening not too far from her.

'_Yuko is so tipsy.'_

Her moves were slow but sloppy. Haruna tried to keep her at the right pace and allowed her to rest her face on her shoulder. Mariko was pleased with her request. Not too long ago, during one of their photo shoots, Mariko was resting on a chair, playing with her cellphone when she noticed the squirrel girl's behavior. She didn't seem just tired but out of glow. It was like everything lately had been just work and no fun really. She knew Yuko long enough to acknowledge that the girl got lonely pretty often. It was lonely after all. There was so little one could do to change it and still manage a work schedule. Mariko was different and took advantage of both work and pleasure and her personality was completely different. Yuko's crush on Haruna was something that probably got in the way and allowed her to fall into loneliness easily. If you grow used to hang out with someone, you'll miss it badly once you aren't able to for a while.

Mariko couldn't quite figure it out if Yuko's crush was really just her own thing, because, more often than not, Haruna either complied with the girl's actions or simply behaved aloof. She knew Haruna _liked _Yuko, but she pretty much went ahead with Miichan's point of view about Haruna. Still, Yuko was a nice girl and deserved some love. She pushed Yukarin enough into her spilling out details about this "dinner" and once she found out it was going to be a party, Mariko didn't think twice about asking something from Haruna.

Itano returned to the table and was feeling a little bit tipsy. Turns out she decided to kill her boredom with booze. Kasai got from her seat and locked her arm with Itano.

"_Ne let's go dance. I can't bear to see you all looking bored and drinking. Let's burn that alcohol and bust some moves."_

"_What? I'm fine! Ack don't push me!"_

But Kasai was a pusher so once she set something on her mind, she had go through with it. She had just found the perfect opportunity to go dance and she wasn't going to do it alone. Sae was still stuffing her mouth and being all shy and giggles. Miichan was acting pretty much like Mariko. Itano was a nice dancer and knew how to rock it if she felt like it. Besides, Itano looked handsome in her attire, so Kasai was curious to see her dancing with this new image.

"_Okay let's go."_

**[…]**

Yuko was still holding Haruna in her arms. The alcohol was hitting her hard and she could feel her body going numb randomly. Haruna often tighten her hold of Yuko just to keep her on her feet. The squirrel girl was feeling so out of herself. It hit her hard the feeling of loneliness and how being hold like this made it all go away. She loved acting and being an Idol, but it all came with a price. She didn't have time. She hated not having enough time to herself and when she did, the possibility of her friends being busy then. Haruna wasn't that busy lately, just the regular amount of work. But soon no3b would promote again and that meant less free time. Yuko was still half way in her drama shooting and even though she texted Haruna, it didn't feel the same.

When the music switched Haruna's body slowly parted away and Yuko felt sad. She wanted to be like that forever and never let go. It was the alcohol, her feelings, everything boiling up. To make it worse she was questioning herself. She never missed someone the way she misses Haruna when they don't see often. And the fact she came dressed as a boy was making her confuse. She found herself completely attracted to both sides of the girl. And she always looked so stunning.

"_Yu-chan, are you okay?"_

"_Hum? Oh yeah…just a little tipsy I guess. I think I need to get some fresh air."_

"_Maybe you had a little bit too much. You shouldn't overdo this things."_

Yuko looked down for a moment. Haruna was right, but that didn't change the fact she was aware she had overdo it in the first place. She couldn't really explain anything lately, she was acting more often than not without thinking.

"_Nyah Nyah…could you…come with me outside?"_

Yuko couldn't see Haruna's expression since her mask was back on. She had put it on again once she stopped holding Yuko.

"_I promised Mariko I would dance with her too. But I guess. I haven't said hi to the girls yet, so I suppose if it's just for a while…"_

"_Thank you Nyah Nyah!"_

A sudden excitement filled Yuko. Then it went down as she nodded. Haruna surprised her for the second time in a day and grabbed her arm. Her jaw fell and her eyes wide opened. Haruna was being so nice to her but because she wasn't sober she didn't even wondered why the change of heart. The two girls left for the entrance and pulled the curtain away to go outside.

**[…]**

Takamina and Acchan returned to the table. Acchan was glowing and Mariko arched on eyebrow at the view.

"_What happened between you two? Acchan looks like a rainbow coming out from a gold pot. Did you girls had that much fun?"_

Takamina's face flushed furiously.

"_Yeah, what happened? Did you finally confess you're a boy and now Acchan can stop saying weird things like marrying you and actually marry you?"_

"_What are you girls talking about?! Nothing happened! And stop calling me a boy!"_

Takamina couldn't take it. Miichan was always calling her a boy whenever she got the chance and Mariko was the same old Mariko always teasing and making jokes. It worried her that Acchan wasn't reacting and instead just sat down all smiling.

"_Takamina's sleeping over at my house. I don't know what time we'll leave and my house is closer to reach the train station."_

"_Sooo that's why! I see what you did there Acchan…"_

Mariko smirked and sent her a look. Takamina didn't caught it and remained dumbstruck. Seemed like every little thing was enough to cook some teasing remarks. She sighed and sat beside Sae, who finally stopped eating and was banging her head to the beat.

"_Did anyone saw Yuko?"_

"_Hum no. But I bet she found something entertaining to do."_

"_Do you girls think that by now she knows she's been creeping at Kojima right?"_

"_She can't be that stupid. Obviously she figured it out it was Haruna. More the reason for her to be nowhere to be seen."_

The girls laughed and changed subject. Itano was still dancing and tripped on her own feet. The scene was so amusing all the girls laughed until their lungs hurt. Kasai helped her out but couldn't help and giggle. Itano was ready to throw a fist and once on her feet, she throw her hair back and began moving again. She was too tipsy to care.

**[…]**

Yuko and Haruna were seating at one of the benches closer to the entrance. The street was poorly illuminated and it was somehow cold. The air temperature made her tipsiness settle down and vanish slightly. Her senses were awaking slowly and she was happy to be closer to Haruna. The bishoujo girl was in her normal state, not saying anything and pouting. Her fingers were playing with the end of her tie and Yuko realized she had been staring for too long. She was sobering up but still not sober enough to restrain her feelings. Looking at Haruna was making her feel funny and she was beginning to feel like kissing Haruna. The bishoujo girl was so out of it but Yuko was mesmerized by the way the light was falling on her. At that moment she looked like a beautiful goddess. The light bolded her feminine features and the attire was only adding an extra charm. Yuko didn't thought twice and brought herself up, surprising Haruna. She kissed Haruna. Only this time it wasn't a smooch and to her own surprise Haruna kissed her back. When their lips parted she felt too overwhelmed and her senses shot down. She felt her eyes heavy and the world around her just fell into darkness.


	7. Chapter 6

**Collide**

by **naitou**

* * *

_Chapter Six_

* * *

When you're an Idol, the most challenging part is to keep up with the insane schedules and always do the best you can, no matter how you've feel. It was not a good idea to get drunk when during the next day you're going to have to work your ass off in a rollerskating of a schedule. Yuko's head felt like a beating drum and her throat felt sore and dry. The concealer helped hiding the dark bags under her eyes and the make-up artist kept on looking at her with a funny expression. Yuko tried her best not to fall asleep when the stylist began working on her hair and she frowned at the flashy bikinis waiting for her to try them on for the photoshoot. Her fingers kept on massaging her temples. Brief memories of the previous night ran through her head and she tried her best to brush them aside. Truth be told, Yuko couldn't remember the whole night and fragments of those memories confused her, specially those where she felt like she did something she usually wouldn't. Her manager approached and told her to get a grip of herself since the staff was eying her curiously. Yuko scoffed and got up from the chair. It was time for her to get into her professional skin.

**[...]**

Mariko was feeling particularly satisfied. While most of the members were oblivious to her state, most were also busy trying to cover up their hangover and others were simply curious as to why the front girls were acting so strangely. Mariko rarely had a hangover and she surely didn't drink as much as for example Itano or Yuko. Itano had a very peculiar attitude even during a hangover. She had this bitchy attitude that she either faked or really let it come out, so there was nothing particularly different about her. Yuko wasn't around so Mariko assumed she had another kind of schedule, like Takamina and Haruna. Mariko though, was missing Haruna and the girl had yet to check her phone to read the little teasing tweet she sent her. It sure turned out to be quite of a night overall.

Many things were changing and girls from the other sister groups were joining more frequently for single promotions. Their newest single was scheduled to premiere during the fall and during the next couple of weeks choreography needed to be practiced. Sometimes it was hard to gather all the girls at the same place to practice and some of them stayed up late just to use that free time to practice. This single was different from the Summer one they pulled off and Mariko actually liked this one. It had this dark concept and a different approach to the theme of love and selfless. She was glad to be booked for photoshoots and modeling parts, but she fairly enjoyed participating on the singles. AKB was a large part of her life and during all the years she'd been around there was not a single time she felt ungrateful.

After two hours of practice, many girls left and another batch joined in. Takamina was amongst them. Like the leader she was, she greeted all the staff and Mariko pushed her aside by the arm.

_"So, how's your head?"_

Takamina eyed her frowning.

_"I'm okay. I didn't drink that much."_  
_"Really? Then I guess you do remember having Maeda all over you on the dancefloor."_  
_"Mari-chan!"_

The petite girl blushed furiously. Mariko laughed wholeheartedly. The joke never got old and for the simple fact that Takamina was easy to embarrass, every gold opportunity to pull out a reaction from her was gratifying.

_"It's okay Takamina. It was far from being a sore sight and you sure didn't mind it at all. But let me tell you...that attire of yours was still a fail."_

Mariko chuckled and watched as Takamina pressed her foot on the floor. The girl had just arrived and was already feeling frustrated. The choreographer clapped his hands and called out the girls. Their little chat would have to continue later which in a way was like allowing the leader to relax and avoid talking any further about it.

**[...]**

On the subway Yuko could barely stay awake. Deprived of coffee and hours of sleep her head was in this continuous buzzing. Most of the time it wasn't unusual to take naps in between jobs but today she feared that if she fell asleep she would not wake up fresh enough to go through the day. People tended to think that photoshoots were a piece of cake of a job, but reality was so much different that unless you were posing and trying to get the shoots right, you wouldn't know how difficult, demanding and stressful it was. Working on bikini shoots wasn't easy and surely the final result on magazines would made you think otherwise. And let's just say that being shoot with a hangover was triple the frustration and mental draining.

On her way, the previous night kept on replaying in her head and her hands were all over her face to make sense out of it. She knew she had too much to drink and that tall girl really got her curious. Deep inside she knew it was Haruna all along but it wasn't until she took the mask off that it pushed a reaction out of her. Haruna had great patience with her and her antics, but it didn't seat well with her that her friend always ended up dealing with her at those times. Yuko could be a pain in the butt if she wanted to and either it was intentional or not, it couldn't possibly justify it. The emotions she felt during that little moment they had outside of the party were soothing her and also left a bitter taste in her mouth. She didn't just kissed Haruna, she really kissed her. It was the first time she did it for real and it threw her back the memory of Haruna not stopping her. Haruna always stopped her, pushed her or tried to avoid it when Yuko's face was all over her. She blushed and brought a hand over her lips. It was like she could taste it all over again. It's all games and fun until someone falls in love and honestly...Yuko knew it better, but that never stopped her before.

For the first time she was feeling confused and been deep thinking about it. The main problem was that alcohol was involved and that didn't make it okay or any better. Haruna didn't contact her and she just assumed she was probably busy. It wasn't like she contacted her that much. Usually it was Yuko who sent her texts or called, but the fact that it was being just a regular day with no torment on the seas was leaving her with mixed feelings. She was stressing over the idea that she knew what she did and no repercussions were taking place. Could it be that Haruna didn't remember? There was a void in that night and Yuko couldn't possibly fill and it worried her. They would eventually talk about it, right? Her heart just skipped a beat thinking about such conversation and it all left her with a fuzzy feeling in her stomach.

**[...]**

Whenever Haruna was by herself things would get easily boring if she wasn't doing anything. Usually she spent time in her cellphone to avoid boredom. She watched cute videos, searched for cute things or was on twitter reading status from the people she followed. Mariko always left funny tweets and there was always a smile on her face whenever the older girl did. The day had been fairly calm and not much happened. On those she usually went out for shopping and eat out because, well, her cooking skills were pretty much a fail. Boiling water and filling a cup with it to cook some pre-made noodles was okay but things like preparing a full meal often ended up with a messed up kitchen. She enjoyed walking around Shibuya and visiting the malls and looking over to beautiful dresses and expensive ones. Her hands would never return empty. At the moment she was in a cute little tea shop, enjoying a cup of red tea and a piece of velvet cake. By her side sat a bag from her favorite pet shop. Her cellphone was on the table and it rang a couple of times with twitter notifications, but her mind was elsewhere. She wasn't one to think too much about, well, anything and it was very rare the times she spared a couple of minutes to ponder about something for more than five minutes. Her mind was drifting on and off about Yuko and she felt pretty concerned about the girl and about her behavior as well. The party turned out to be something else she didn't expect and this time she was sure she needed to stress about it. Yuko's irreverence was something she knew all too well and she had to admit the girl was persistent. When she looked at herself and put on the table everything that changed about her around the squire girl, she couldn't deny that she slowly grew used to her and her antics. Slowly she was feeling that she was breaking under her and that the more she couldn't avoid it, the more she was getting confused. In the midst of her confusion she realized that once she was in front of the true Yuko it didn't scare her. It actually felt good. Years ago she would never allow Yuko to kiss her that way, let alone correspond it. But she did. For the first time she let go and kissed her back, just as into it as a drunk Yuko did. When Yuko passed out she didn't know what to do and she panicked. What happened next and for the rest of the night was something she still had to come to terms with. Maybe it was curiosity, maybe she pitied Yuko, or just maybe she was finally thinking about this and something within her really wanted to correspond Yuko that night, or once and for all.

To her surprise, Yuko didn't contact her during the whole day and part of her was expecting to hear from her. Maybe she doesn't remember? Haruna hoped she did and this was big for her. Nothing like that happened before and there was this new feeling sinking on her. Haruna had kissed other boys but that kiss felt different. Not because it was with a girl...something else she couldn't put her finger on.

Her senses were brought back to reality and she felt her cellphone vibrating on the table. She breathed out and picked it up, opening the screen and bringing it up to her hear.

_"I need to talk to you about something..."_


End file.
